The beautiful former rectory in the hamlet of Areley Kings, near the village of Dunley in Worcestershire, has not one but two listings.
Situated next to the pretty church, The Old Rectory has both a Grade II and a Grade II* listing, possibly because of the different ages of parts of the property.
The majority of it dates back to the Queen Anne era in the 1700s, while others are much earlier and are reputed to be from the 15th century.
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It wears its years well, however, thanks to the hard work of the owners. , installing high quality kitchens and bathrooms which while modern, still blend perfectly with the original features.
Inside the house there are lovely high ceilings, large sash windows, oak floors, wood panelling, flagstone flooring and beams.
Outside there are buildings which could be converted to provide even more accommodation (subject to planning permission).
It begins with a reception hall with Minton tiled floor, half oak panelling, window seat and cupboards. An original fireplace has a stone hearth with tiled and timber surround above it.
The largest of the living rooms is the elegant drawing room. It has lovely views of the garden through its large bay window, painted wood panelling and decorative plaster work, exposed wooden flooring, cornicing and another feature fireplace that has space for a log burner.
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In the kitchen/breakfast, a central island over a slate floor. The units are painted wood topped with granite while the island has an oak top and breakfast bar with storage under.
In addition to an electric Aga, it has an electric cooker and gas hob set within an arched recess, SMEG American style fridge freezer, a Miele dishwasher and SMEG integrated microwave.
The kitchen is open plan to a comfortable sitting room with decorative fireplace that has space for a log burner. French doors lead outside.
A utility includes a Belfast sink, floor-mounted units with oak worktop, slate floor and door to the outside. There is space and plumbing for a washing machine and tumble dryer. An inner hall with original flagstone floor leads to a cloakroom and toilet.
The dining room enjoys views to the front and side of the property, overlooking the church. This has an exposed wooden floor, painted wood panelling and open fireplace with glazed blue tiles around it.
It also holds a secret – a cupboard is hidden in the panelling.
The original reception hall was actually to the west of the house rather than in the centre. It is wood panelled with a limestone tiled floor and there is an oak staircase to the first floor with sash windows at the front which look out towards the church.
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Upstairs the master bedroom is another fine room. Like the drawing room below, it also has a large bay with sash windows and shutters. The Wyre Forest is visible in the distance. The room has exposed floorboards, window seats, cornicing and panelling. A fireplace has a granite hearth with marble surround and space for a log burner.
There are more wood floorboards in the second bedroom, a fireplace with decorative tiling and a store cupboard which originally formed part of the servants’ stairs.
It also benefits from an en suite that has a double shower cubicle, toilet, basin, fireplace and fitted wardrobes.
There are two more bedrooms on this floor, both with fireplaces and fitted wardrobes.
A luxuriously large family bathroom has a roll , a double shower cubicle, toilet and basin. Like the majority of the rest of the rooms, this also has a fireplace and a fitted cupboard. There is a separate toilet next to this.
Up on the second floor there are three double bedrooms that could be used for teenagers, guests or staff.
A second family bathroom has an Amtico floor and part-tiled walls, shower cubicle, toilet and pedestal basin, a fireplace and window overlooking the garden.
An attic room offering storage can be accessed off the second floor landing.
There are also two cellars, one reached from inside the house and the other from the courtyard outside. Some of the outbuildings have also been put to use. The two-storey coach house provides garaging with a studio room above. There are two further stores and an original dairy that is now being used for garden tools and equipment.
The grounds are as pretty as the rest of the property with lawns to either side of the driveway and orchard trees.
A walled garden at the front is gated to the lane and very private. A stone and brick path with lavender borders leads to the front door.
In a courtyard to the back there is a herb garden and log store.
The back garden itself has a stone paved terrace running along the rear of the house. It overlooks an ornamental pond and a stone gravelled path that runs under trellising to the end of the garden.
A field of just over one and quarter acres is laid to permanent pasture and gently slopes away from the building.
In all, The Old Rectory Land covers around 1.76 acres.
The hamlet of Areley Kings has a church and shop, while the nearby village of Dunley boasts a pub and a garage with a shop. The Georgian market town of Bewdley is just three miles away.
VIEWING INFORMATION
AGENT: Andrew Grant
TEL: 01905 734735
WEB: www.andrew-grant.co.uk
GUIDE PRICE: £950,000